From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
For 171 former ward councillors in Ebonyi State, popularly known as pioneer councillors, life is not worth living because there is no means of survival, especially in the present economic situation in the country that has brought hardship to all Nigerians.
• Members of the ex-coincillors’ forum
The former local government lawmakers served in 1999 when the nation returned to democratic rule.
Their belief was that, as those that contributed to the democracy the country is currently enjoying, they should be treated as senior citizens through payment of all their entitlements after service.
But that was not to be. This made many of them to fall sick and die because they had no money to take care of their health needs and other challenges.
•Ex-councillors during a meeting
Some of them that are still alive are now bedridden, without medical attention.
Nkwede Wilfred, from Amuzu community, Izzi Local Government Area of the state, who represented Igbeagu Ward, has been battling stroke for over four years now.
When Daily Sun visited him in his village, he told our correspondent that he has been battling stroke for four years and has not been receiving proper medical attention owing to lack of money. He also noted that his children have all dropped out of school as a result of lack of money to pay their school fees.
The father of nine said: “I have been bedridden for four years; I fell sick four years ago. I am suffering stroke, as you can see. I can’t make use of one side of my body and can’t speak clearly, as you are seeing. I need assistance to remain alive. I have no means of taking care of my health anymore. I need serious help.
“Five of my colleagues in our local government, Izzi, have died. Timothy Ibeogu has died, Francis Njoku is also dead, Linus Ezeora is also dead and Felix Uguru also dead. There are some of us that their wives have died too. Our children have all dropped out of school because of lack of money.
“I have been receiving treatment but the treatment is not enough and I need money to get adequate treatment because the one I am receiving is not working. I need to get serious treatment to know if my health can improve but I don’t have the resources.”
His wife, Rosemary Nkwede, corroborated her husband’s story. She said she has taken the man to many places she was not supposed to go, in a bid to cure her husband.
She said: “Things changed in my marriage after our silver jubilee celebration. I had an accident in June 2019 and in November of the same year (2019), my husband became sick.
“He was the one that was taking me to where I was receiving treatment because I had fractured my legs, I couldn’t walk. So, as he was taking me to where I was receiving treatment, his own sickness started and it was stroke, which he has been suffering till now without solution.
“I have taken my husband to places I was not supposed to go just because I want him to be healed. There is a place I took him to and we were sleeping on bare floor, it was somewhere in Ezza.
“At a time, I told him lets go home since there was no improvement, before the kitchen will collapse on us. The kitchen was in very bad shape and was almost collapsing and it was a rainy period. So, I told my husband that we had to leave the place and return home.
“I was taking care of my husband and at the same time battling to cater for my children, pay their school fees and every other thing, because my children are many. I have nine children.
“I made sure that one of them became a graduate; she did her NYSC last year but has no job. I too have no job. I sell garri, which I have been doing for years.”
Chief Godwin Udeakaji, who represented Amaoso Ward, in Edda LGA, described the condition of the former councillors as very pathetic.
He regretted that since they finished their tenure as councillors in 2,000, their take-home pay, which was a severance allowance, has not been paid to them by the federal government.
He told Daily Sun that they have fought for the severance package up to the Supreme Court to no avail till today.
Udeakaji opined that the former councillors have lost most of their colleagues because of the situation they have found themselves in after service. He disclosed that four former colleagues in his local government have died from hardship and depression: “It’s indeed a very pathetic story when we start talking about the pioneer councillors of 1999-2000 set. We are the founders or the builders of this very democracy. But, unfortunately, since we completed our tenure without receiving our severance and that severance was packaged by the federal government as a take-home package that would enable us to start a new life after having served our people meritoriously for three years.
“We fought up to the Supreme Court to no avail till today. But we have this infinite confidence in the present administration because we see this present governor as someone with human feelings, a governor that has come to wipe the tears of Ebonyi people from the misgovernance of the last administration.
“In various local governments areas, we have lost some of our colleagues. In some local governments, we have lost four persons, some three and some five due to hardship because our capacity is not the same. We cannot struggle the same way others are struggling.
“Some of us have had some vocational jobs we had been doing before politics and we decided to fall back on that and some of us have nothing to do, some are bedridden and some are battling stroke, among other things. But with the payment of the severance allowance, they could still be given hope and that is what we have been appealing for.
“Some of our colleagues are bedridden, most of us cannot even afford to pick the school fees of our children. Some of us are managing so hard to survive or to keep our family intact.
“So, we are passionately appealing to our governor to do something about it as he has started a good job of reviving and giving hope to some of the hopeless Ebonyians who had lost hope of receiving their pensions and gratuities by paying them. We are part of the system and we supported him to come in and we are also believing that we will also be part of the good package he has for the state.”
On his part, Joseph Chukwu, who represented Ibii/Ozziza ward in Afikpo LGA, revealed that he lost four of his colleagues in the local government.
He lamented that it was only them that were not paid severance package, whereas others former councillors in other states of the federation were all paid. He said life has been very difficult for them since year 2000 they finished serving as councillors.
“Life has been terrible, pathetic for us. We are the foundation of democracy in Nigeria. In our campaign, we spent a lot of money, we served the nation because we were federal lawmakers; we were not just state lawmakers but federal lawmakers and, after serving, we had a package from the federal government. Severance allowance and gratuity were endorsed by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“To our greatest surprise, every other state was paid. I am telling you that it is only in Ebonyi State that former councillors didn’t receive their own for no just cause.
“We didn’t do anything wrong. We have been partaking in the advancement of democracy in Nigeria. And I tell you the truth, as a result of this, people are of the view that after serving our various communities as ward councillors, we will fall on something but the reverse is the case. Our salaries then could not even carry us and we went back empty handed.
“Because of this, some were shocked. They felt sick and they didn’t have money to treat themselves. As am talking to you now, in my local government area, we have lost four councillors not because of grievous disease but because they didn’t have the money to treat themselves,” he stated.
David Ukah, who is one of the former councillors said the non-payment of the severance package has affected the living conditions of the former local lawmakers. He explained that many children of the former councillors have dropped out of school because of no money to continue training them.
He added that the some of the former councillors have fallen sick without any medical attention while some have died.
“We were 171 that served as pioneer councillors but a lot of us have died. Some are now very sick and they have not been receiving treatment because there is no money for that.
“That some of us are still alive today is by God’s mercy. In my local government, Edda, I have lost about five that were also councillors with me. Some are very sick and they can’t go to hospital because they don’t have money for that. So, this is our pathetic condition,” he stated.
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